Okay, this is very personal but I need to get it out...I'm so upset.
When I was growing up my mom never made my sister and I brush our teeth...ever...I think we went to the dentist maybe twice (all I remember is picking out toys afterward from the little "treasure chest" in the office). So I never got into the habit of brushing my teeth regulary until about a year and a half ago. I'm 25 years old now.
The last time I went to the dentist was 4 years ago when I broke a tooth and couldn't stand the pain. It was a horrible experience. My teeth are a mess and the dentist humiliated me in front of the other patients. He was practically yelling at me for taking such bad care of my mouth. I left there crying and I think I cried for several days afterward too.
Anyway, my wisdom teeth started coming in a few weeks ago and the moment it starting hurting I vowed I would once and for all fix my teeth no matter how scared, ashamed, or broke I was. So I got two teeth pulled yesterday after explaining to my dentist I was neglected when I was young (which I was when you think about it) and that I was so ashamed after my last visit it took my 4 years to get over it...and that I would do whatever it takes to fix my teeth.
My dentist was so wonderful and understanding that now I know I can do it. He really supported me and didn't lecture me at all.
To make a long story short, I now need over $7,000 worth of work including braces and a dental implant before my teeth are healthy again. I have gum disease and I need 10 fillings as well as a bone graft and "scaling and planing." So all the money I have saved thus far for nursing school now has to be rerouted directly to my teeth...and I have dental insurance but it doesn't cover some of the stuff I need, like the bone graft. I'm not afraid of the pain, just the cost.
I'm so upset but relieved at the same time. I have been wanting to do this and it is now a reality.
But I'm so worried about not being able to afford nursing school now. My husband is kinda mad at me for letting my problems go on so long too. It's hard to make him understand that as I kid I couldn't have possibly known any better if I wasn't told, but he makes it seem like I was a total moron for not realizing it myself once I was old enough. And now I agree with him on that point, but I can't change the past, can I? My sister's teeth are in even worse shape and she's had several fall out, so at least she's on my side. We're both kind of mad at our mom for being neglectful, but other than this she was a wonderful mother.
Thanks for listening, sorry it's so long but I feel a little better now.
Does anyone have any similar experiences? (hopefully not as drastic)
Illiel: OMG, I had never heard that about your bone tissue, you know that makes sense, and I really thought my friend was nutz when she did it anyway. thanks for filling me in! :eek:
You would be amazed at the amount of ppl that come in who had been neglected when they were younger and now think dentures is the answer to everything! It's not, they are the worst option.
As for implants, they are expensive, but my office suggests that ppl place the implants that they need (aprox 1000 for one and 600 each additional) and leave them burried for as long as they can (most implants have to be burried for 6 months at first) then later when they have the money save, uncover them and place the crowns which can run 1000 per tooth. It's expensive and most insurances will not cover the implant but they will cover a protion of the crown. You can't go wrong with implants, they work so well.
Teeth are expensive, but we only get one set to last us a lifetime!
BTW, I worked in Periodontics and Oral/Maxiofacial Surg for years that's why I know about this!
I've said it before and I'll say it again....Go to a Dental School for the work, go to a Hygiene school for cleanings, these students know what they're doing and there's no shame in going!
Thanks everybody for your support and for making me feel not so alone...as for the finances, Carolanne, my dentist requires patients to apply for a credit card to finance expenses, otherwise everything has to be paid before the work is done. Since I have a high debt ratio I was turned down on the spot and had to plunk down $600 for two extractions and a bone graft to get rid of my pain...the good news now is at least my husband isn't mad at me anymore and is turning out to be very supportive, which helps a lot - except that he refuses to apply for the credit card because his credit is pretty good but like me he has high debt ratio and he doesn't want to make it worse
I just wanted to say i FEEL your pain! Ever since i started having kids, my teeth have steadily been breaking, chipping, losing crowns, you name it. Right now i've got 3 broken teeth that need repaired, and 2 crowns that i HOPE can be replaced. That's what i get for being pregnant and breastfeeding for the past 3+ years! Not to mention, prior to all this i had EXTENSIVE jaw surgery, 2 sets of braces, retainers out my ears, bitguards.....the list is endless. I had a gross underbite (my jaw was out so far you couldn't see my upper lit) so i had to have all the prep work so i could have jaw surgery (2 different ones, mandibular osteotomy and a maxillary advancement). I've got 6 screws, 2 plates, and NOW broken teeth! I constantly am needing dental work, but since i stay at home with our boys for now (am pregnant with our last) we are only one income. Doesn't leave much for extras.
We don't have dental insurance YET, and i'm not close to a dental school. I'd love to do that, i'm about 4 hours from Denver, so i'm going to try to find out if there's one there. But my point about your dentist, is not all dentists are like that. Maybe call around and see if you can work out a payment plan with other dentists. Or maybe buy some independent dental coverage? It would be worth it, but i would NOT put your dream of being a nurse on hold. if nothing, that gives you hope in a few years to get everything done you need cuz you'll have the funds to do it. Good luck, and i hope you find something that works!!
Sorry about what you are dealing with . I know how you are feeling more than you might believe.As kids we never went to the dentist nor did many of our peers . We also grew up without flouridated water and I think with some bad teeth genes . I went for the first time as a young adult and suffered real embarrasment at the shape of my teeth. I keep myself together otherwise but try not to smile to broadly because I have so many fillings , quite a few cavities and a root canal that needs to repair a barely there molar. I brush floss use mouthwash more than daily but I am freaked out at the thought of anyone including a dentist seeing the inside of my mouth . It's funny I picked up on your post today because last few days I have really been thinking about this and trying to get the nerve to make that appt. Anyway I didnt want to hijack your post but wanted you to know you are very much not alone . I hope you can find some resolution to this so you dont have to drop any classes . Best wishes!
I did not take the best care of my teeth as a kid. Before the age of 18, I saw a dentist once. My father had insurance, but the dentists all wanted the money up front and it was a choice between putting food on the table, or a filling in a tooth. Pregnancy only made the problem more severe. With both of my kids, I had nausea and vomiting twelve hours a day everyday for the entire forty weeks plus four days (both overdue the same amount of time). Stomach acid was not kind to my teeth. I do not blame my father at all. My husband has insurance but all of the dentists want the money up front, even though there is a place to sign on the insurance forms that directs the insurance company to send the cheque in the dentist's name directly to the dentists' office! Is that ridiculous or what!?! We manage to cover the check-ups and cleanings for the kids but that's the most we can afford. Unfortunately, my bad teeth will just have to wait until I graduate and we have two incomes, and they will get worse in the meantime.
You can do it!! If I can do it anyone can do it...I let an abscessed tooth go for four years because I was so ashamed. But the relief after you take the very first step and find out what you need done is worth it....and granted the cost may give you a heart attack like it did me...but some way, somehow, someday you WILL be okay and have nice choppers to boot.
{{{hugs}}} to you from a fellow sufferer and PLEASE make your appointment!!
Not to mention, prior to all this i had EXTENSIVE jaw surgery, 2 sets of braces, retainers out my ears, bitguards.....the list is endless. I had a gross underbite (my jaw was out so far you couldn't see my upper lit) so i had to have all the prep work so i could have jaw surgery (2 different ones, mandibular osteotomy and a maxillary advancement). I've got 6 screws, 2 plates, and NOW broken teeth! I constantly am needing dental work, but since i stay at home with our boys for now (am pregnant with our last) we are only one income. Doesn't leave much for extras. 
iliel
849 Posts
You would be amazed at the amount of ppl that come in who had been neglected when they were younger and now think dentures is the answer to everything! It's not, they are the worst option.
As for implants, they are expensive, but my office suggests that ppl place the implants that they need (aprox 1000 for one and 600 each additional) and leave them burried for as long as they can (most implants have to be burried for 6 months at first) then later when they have the money save, uncover them and place the crowns which can run 1000 per tooth. It's expensive and most insurances will not cover the implant but they will cover a protion of the crown. You can't go wrong with implants, they work so well.
Teeth are expensive, but we only get one set to last us a lifetime!
BTW, I worked in Periodontics and Oral/Maxiofacial Surg for years that's why I know about this!
I've said it before and I'll say it again....Go to a Dental School for the work, go to a Hygiene school for cleanings, these students know what they're doing and there's no shame in going!